China said today the SARS epidemic threatened to overwhelm its hospitals as health officials from around the world met in Toronto to seek ways to limit the spread of the deadly virus.
While sharing ideas to combat the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, which has killed over 350 people mainly in Asia, the experts said it would probably be impossible to eradicate the virus altogether.
In Beijing, a spike in the number of cases of SARS sparked widespread fear and some panic buying of medicines and staple foods. Acting Mayor Wang Qishan said more hospitals were being set up to handle SARS cases.
"Due to a shortage of beds at designated hospitals, not all suspected SARS patients can be hospitalized in a timely manner," Mr Wang said. Quickly isolating SARS patients is seen by experts as key to preventing the disease from spreading and quick treatment may help patients survive. SARS has killed more than 6 percent of victims.
Beijing is reporting more than 100 new SARS infections a day and a total of about 1,400 cases with 75 deaths. The capital has already closed schools and theaters and put nearly 10,000 people under quarantine.
Canadian officials hoped they had found the key to controlling the outbreak after struggling with an outbreak so serious that the World Health Organization added Toronto to its travel advisory list.
WHO took Toronto off the list yesterday after 20 days passed without new infections being traced to Canadian soil.
But with China still gripped by the epidemic, officials feared the virus would continue to be exported elsewhere. Speaking at the Toronto conference, Dr. Alfred Lam Ping Yan, Hong Kong's deputy director of health, told Reuters, "This is a very useful mutual first step in the control of the disease."
But he added: "This disease will not disappear from the world and we need to see how we can control the disease and collaborate in the longer term."
SARS has infected nearly six thousand people in 29 countries, killing at least 372. Doctors say it is mainly passed by droplets through sneezing and coughing.